Wire-tightener



- (N0 MOdel.)

f W. B. PIELDING. WIRE TIGHTENER.

10.513,906; PatentedJan. 30,1894.

I Unire STATES PATENT Fries.,

WIRE-TIG HTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent' No. 513,906, dated January 30, 1891i.

Application filed November 24.1893. Serial No. 491,869. (Nomodel.)

.To wZZ. whom t may concern.-

Be 1t known that I, WILLIAM BRAMLEE FIELDING, a citizen of the United States, residlngat San Jos, Santa Clara county, State of California, have invented an Improvementin Wire-Tighteners; and I hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same. My invention relates to a device for stretching and tightening telegraph, electric, and other wires which are stretched between supporting p oles at a considerable distance apart. It cons1s ts in certain details of construction which will be more fully explained by referenceto theaccompanyingdrawings,inwhich- Figure l is a view of my device for stretching telegraph wires. section of one of the channel guide blocks.

A A are two channeled guide blocks, each havingone end constructed to grasp the wire to be stretched, as will be hereinafter described, and the opposite ends are in the form of forks or yokes B of sulcient length to admit the loosely turning rollers O which are journaled between these forks. The ends of the forks are preferably closed by a connecting bar so as to give the structure sufficient strength and rigidity, and prevent its spreading when cons1derable strain is brought upon it.

D is a flexible strap of a width approxi` mately equal to the length of the rollers C, and 1t has one end secured to the endbar of one of the forks, passing thence around the iirst pulley in the opposite fork, then back around the iirst pulley in the fork to which it is attached, thence around the second pulley 1n the opposite fork, and then back around the first pulley in the first named fork. To one side of the yoke or fork is hinged a swivel arm E which has a projecting spur or pin F upon one side. Holes G are made in the strap into which the pin F is adapted to fall when any hole has been brought opposite to it, so that when the strap has been pulled up to any desiredA point, the arm E is turned about its pivot point until the pin falls into the hole in the strap, and the latter is locked in place. The ends A have channels formed in them of sufficient depth to receive the movable clamping blocks H. One side of thechannel is made straight, and the other is beveled or inclined and may be plain or corrugated as de- Fig. 2 is a horizontal.

sired. The blocks H are made with a corresponding incline upon one side, and adapted to clamp the wire I between the inclined side of theblock and the corresponding side of the channel in which'the block moves.

J is a spring which surrounds a pin projecting from the end of the block H and entering a hole inthe head A, which serves as a guide to keep the parts in place. The action of the spring normally forces the block H, with its beveled side, in contact with the beveled side of the head A, so that whenever a wire is placed between these two surfaces, it will be clamped by -the action of the jaw.

K is a pin ixed in one side of the movable block H, projecting through a slot in the face of the block A which is opposite to the open side, and by means of this pin the block H can be moved so as toy compress the spring and leave an open space suficient for the insertion of a wire.

L is a loop or strapA xed to one of the heads VA and adapted to be secured to a post or other point for the purpose of drawing the wire taut. V Theoperation of the apparatus will then be as follows: If electric or telegraph wires are to be stretched between poles, the strap L is iirst secured to the pole, and the strap D being let out so as to separate the heads A as far as possible, the wire I is placed between the sliding jawH and the corresponding side of the head A, and the action ofthe spring closes the two so as to hold the wire, While any tension upon it will cause the grip to become stronger. The strap D is then drawn over its pulleys, thus drawing the heads A nearer together until the wire is stretched to the desired tension. It may then be temporarily secured to the pole or an insulator until the next section has been stretched, and so on until the wire has been properly placed.

Whenever it is desired to repair wires which have been broken between poles or to connect the ends of wires at intermediate points, each of the ends of the wires I will be secured by one of the clamping jaws Il, one at each end of the apparatus, with a sufficient-length projecting beyond the clamps to overlap when they are drawn to the Vpropell tension.-- ,By drawing on the strap D, asbefore described, until the wires overlap suiciently to be joined, the pin F of the' swinging arm vE is IOO dropped into one of the holes in the strap, and thus held in place until the Wires are joined.

.Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An apparatus, consisting of the heads A having the projecting forks or yokes, pulleys journaled between said forks, a strap secured at one end to one of the forks and passing around the pulleys, a locking device consisting of the swinging arm hinged to one of the heads, having a pin adapted to enter holes in the strap, and sliding spring-actuated grip locks tting into the heads and adapted to grip the Wire, substantially as herein described.

2. A device for stretching or tightening wires eonsistingof the heads having inclined channels made in them, blocks adapted to slide in said channels and grip the'wires between the opposing faces of the blocks and the head, guide pins extending from the blocks into guide holes in the heads, and springs whereby the blocks are normally forced against the gripping faces ofthe heads, forks extending from the opposite ends of the heads WILLIAM BRAB/[LEE FIELDING.

Witnesses:

J. M. HARRIsTINs, C. W. QUILTY. 

